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The family of baseball legend Pete Rose is making one final push to clear his name from Major League Baseball’s ineligible list. Commissioner Rob Manfred is currently reviewing a petition filed on January 8 by Rose’s family, seeking his posthumous reinstatement.
The move comes decades after Rose, MLB’s all-time hit leader, was banned from baseball in 1989 for betting on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Jeffrey Lenkov, a lawyer who represented Rose before his passing in September 2024, submitted the petition along with Rose’s eldest daughter, Fawn Rose. The two had met with Manfred and MLB spokesman Pat Courtney in December to discuss the matter.
“The commissioner was respectful, gracious, and actively participated in productive discussions regarding removing Rose from the ineligible list,” Lenkov said. “We are seeking reinstatement so that we can pursue his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which had long been his desire and is now being sought posthumously by his family.”
Can President Trump get Pete Rose reinstated by MLB?
This renewed effort coincides with former President Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to pardon Rose. In a social media post on Friday, Trump declared, “Over the next few weeks I will be signing a complete pardon of Pete Rose, who shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on his team winning.” Trump added that Rose “had the most hits, by far, in baseball history, and won more games than anyone in sports history.”
Rose was never formally charged for gambling but did serve five months in prison in 1990 after pleading guilty to tax evasion. Lenkov stated that he had not actively sought White House intervention, but noted, “Pete would have appreciated the president’s commitment to him.”
MLB sources confirmed that Manfred is indeed reviewing the petition, though it remains unclear whether he will rule in favor of reinstating Rose. When Manfred previously denied Rose’s request in 2015, he cited the need to “protect the integrity of play on the field.”
Despite his ban, Rose’s legacy remains undeniable. Over his 24-year career, primarily spent with the Reds, he set MLB records for hits (4,256), games played, at-bats, and singles. However, in 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame passed a rule preventing any player on MLB’s ineligible list from appearing on a Hall of Fame ballot—a move widely known as the “Pete Rose rule.”
While Rose had multiple opportunities to regain eligibility during his lifetime, he declined an early 2000s offer from then-Commissioner Bud Selig that required him to formally admit to betting on baseball and refrain from gambling activities. In 2004, Rose did acknowledge gambling while managing the Reds but insisted he never bet against his team.
With Rose’s passing last year, some within MLB circles have suggested that bans should no longer apply posthumously. Lenkov echoed this sentiment, stating, “Legally, the lifetime ban is over. His lifetime is over.”
The Hall of Fame has yet to indicate whether it would reconsider Rose’s eligibility if Manfred lifts the ban. “If he is taken off that list, there’s still no guarantee he gets in,” Lenkov said. “But if he does, imagine the outpouring of emotion at his induction. It would be a moment baseball fans would never forget.” For now, the decision rests in Manfred’s hands. Whether Rose’s family can finally achieve the recognition he long sought remains to be seen.
